Floating station for aircraft



Aug. l2, 1930. A. J. coBHAM FLATING STATION FOR AIRCRAFT Filed DeC. 23, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. l2, 1930. A. J. coBHAM FLOATING STATION FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 25, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. I2, 1,930. A. J. coBHAM 1,773,029 l I FLOATING STATION Fol? AIRCRAFT I Filed Deo. 23, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES.

PATENT oFFIcE ALAN JOHN CORI-IAM, OFLONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ALAN COBHAM AVIATION LIMITED, OF LONDON,ENGLAND FLOATING STATION FOR AIRCRAFT .f.Application/filed'December23,1929, serial 10.416,022, and in Great Britain .Decmbef 7, 1928.

r'llhis invention relates to Vfloating stations formooring Eflying boats and other aircraft "which descend -on and take -olf from Water,

said Lstations being adapted Vto be anchored lin sheltered waters where such 'flying boats 'and other aircraft may alight /onfthe water near such stations and may be held securefto suchstationswhile they are relled and reconditioned as may be required.

The object of the present invention is tol provide, for mooring flying boats and other 1 aircraft which descend on and take off-from water, a station which will befstab'le in its character; which will be comparatively stationary and willV `lnot swing` around with changes of win-d soas to allowsueh'aircraft to descend safely onto the water close to said station and to be'able to approach said stationfrom any direct-ion; and which will have no `obstructions vthat would be liableto injure rthe yaircraft or create inconveniences when the aircraftis moored alongside such station. f

According to this invention a floating station for mooring flying'boats and other aircular surfaceand a deck extending across the circular surface ofsaid vessel fromwhich deck the aircraft may be handled and to d which'it may be moored.

`'preferably consists of a hawsepifpe commuf nicating-between the conical sidesu'rface of The deck is preferably'so mounted that it is turnable to npermit the aircraft to swing with change of wind and curent Without turning the conical vessel.

The-means for mooring the` floating station the vessel at a'p'oint intermediate its apex vand the'"circular'isurfaceand an' aperture in the deck through which the mooring vcable or 'chain (hereinafter referred 'to simply as mooring cable, for convenience) is passed, the arrangement being suchl that the cable is prevented fromrfouling` the 'aircraft-While being capable of being Vmanipulated from the deck. The position -of'themouth of the hawse pipe in the conical side-surface oftheV `vessel is determined by the strength ofthe current vfor which'the station is designed.

y The vessel may be provided with acentral hollow trunk on vits circularsurfacewthin which the mooring hawse pipe and union pipes for fuel tanks mounted-in said vessel are accommodated, the deck bein-g `mounted,

to turn about said central'hollow trunk.

Referring to vthev d raWings':- p Fig. ll-i-llustrates ythe floating station and shows a flying boat moored in a position with its bow on to the floating station.

-FigQ is a similar View to Fig. 1, but showing the flying boat moored broadside on to the floating station. 1 y

Fig. 3 is a plan View ofthe floatingstation drawn lto an enlarged scale. y Fig. 4 asectional elevation on the line IV-IV in Fig. 3. l j f Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation kon the line V-Vin Fig. 3.

Y As shown in the drawings the 4station consists of a conical vessel, which lfor convenience in transitlis made up in four partsfeach -having a conical outside wall l, bulkhead walls 2 and Band a deck 4, each partiis of -quadrantal form in plan withI 'the bulkhead walls 2 and 3- atA right anglesto each other and vto the 'deck' 4. iBetween thejcon'ical sfide portion andthe vdeck a small cylindrical portion 5-is provided. "These four conical parts Yare nestedftogetherand areyjconneeted at their apicesbyga' bottom 'plate' forming the apex o the vessel andI at the; topy by {the 'trunk member' Z so aste ferm a'erc'ularguipper'surface` 'constitutingy the deckA of. the vessel.Y A

Tweemaal-parts are .hollow and threey of them each contain a fuel tank 8 having a union pipe 9 passing upwardly from it through the trunk 7 and having the union 10 at its upper end. The remaining conical 5 part is formed with a hawse pipe 11 extending through it from an aperture 12 in the deck portion 4 thereof to an outboard mouth 13 in the conical wall 1 of this part about midway between the apex or bottom of the cone and the deck. As previously stated the position of the outboard mouth of this hawse pipe will be determined by the strength of the current for which the station is designed, but will always be intermediate the apex and the deck. A A

Turnably mounted on the trunk 7 is a platform 14 extending above and covering the whole of the deck 4. This platform 14 is provided adjacent its outer edges with a bearing ring 15 which bears on rollers 16 mounted in a. carrier 17 and resting upon the supporting ring 18-on the deck 4- in order that the platform ma turn easily on the trunk 7 servin as a hug.

The patform 14 is provided with a wooden upper surface 19 which in turn carries on its upper side, and spaced around the whole of the platform near the periphery thereof, 4ring-bolts 20 and mooring cleats 21. The latform is rovided with a skirt portion 23 xed around) the periphery thereof and depending downwardly around the cylindrical portion 5 ofthe conical parts. Onl the exterior of this skirt portionv andextending a soft fender 24.Y v

The platform is provided with a manhole 25 normally covered by a plate 26 which can he brought into position opposite similar manholes27 in each of the conical parts, so as to-provide'for entrance to said parts for 'inspection and repair. VMoreover, a space 28 Y is provided in the base of each of the conical `parts for ballast.

.' ..1 In use the station is` moored by a chain or f cable 29, asshowfn in Figs. 1 and 2." The arrangement is such that by riding the tide or current of the water the vesselcan maintain its position 1n relation to said t1de or tionary so thatthe pilot can cause the flying boat to approach any part of the' station against the directionrof the wind and moor the boat thereto, after which the flying boat will automatically swing round and take up its .natural position relative to both wind and current as permitted by the turnable platform and moreover the boat can Vswing naturally with changes in the direction of the Y l0. Ywind without affecting the position of the vessel itself. The boat maybe moored either bow on to the'station` as shown. in Fig. 1, or Y' broadside on tothe station as shown in Fig. 2.

A brakeor clam ing device may be prol Jided onthe turnab e platform `which can be around the whole of the platform is lixed current and thus be held comparatively sta.

circular surface upwardly, means whereby said vessel can be moored from the conical side of ksaid vessel at a point intermediate its apex and the circular surface, and a deck extending across the circular surface of said vessel, from which deck the-aircraft may be I handled and to which it may be moored.

2. A floating station for mooring flying boats and other aircraft adapted to descend on and take olf from water, comprising, a conical buoyant vessel adapted to float with its apex arranged downwardly and with its circular surface upwardly, means whereby said v vessel can be moored from the conical side of said vessel at a point intermediate its apex and the circular surface, and a turnable deck extending across the circular surface of said vessel, from which deck theaircraft ymay be handled and to which it may be moored, whereby theraircraft can swing with change ofwind and current withoutI turning the conical vessel. y

Y 3. 'A floating station for mooring flying boats and other aircraft adapted to descend on and takeoff vfrom water, comprising, a conicalbuoyant vessel adapted to float with its apex arranged `downwardly and with its circular surface upwardly, a deck extending across the circularsurface of said vessel, from which deck the aircraft may be handled and to which it may be moored, and a hawse pipe extending from the conical side of said vessel ata point intermediate its apexand the circular surface whereby the vessel can be moored. y

` 4. A lloatingvstation for mooring flying boats and other aircraft adapted to descend on and take olf from water, comprising, a

conical buoyant vessel adapted to float with its apex arranged downwardly and with its circular surface upwardly, a turnable deck extending across the circular surface of said vessel, from which deck the aircraft may be handled and to which it may be moored, whereby the'aircraft can swing with change of wind and current wit-hout turning the conical vessel, and a hawse pipe extendingfrom the conical side of said vessel at a point in termediate its apex andthe circular surface whereby said Vvesselcan be moored.

5. A floating station for mooring flyingv circular surface of said vessel, tanks in said vessel having,- union pipes extending` through Said trunk, a hawse pipe extending through Said conical Vessel from the hollow trunk to the conical side of said Vessel at a point intermediate it-s apex and the circular surface, and a. deck extending across the circular surface of said Vessel mounted to turn about said central hollow trunk, from which deck the aircraft may be handled and to Which it may be moored, whereby the aircraft can swing With change of Wind and current Without turning the conical vessel.

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my ALAN JOHN COBHAM. 

